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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1..

1. A. STORER. BUNTLINE FOR KEEPING SAILS.

I No. 272,171. Patented Feb. 13,1883.

3 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. A. STORER.

BUNTLINE FOR R'EEFING- SAILS.

N0. 27.2171. Patented Feb. 13, 1883.

(No Model.) r 3 sheets-sheets."

LA. STORBR.

BUNTLINE: FO-R. REBPINQ' SAILS. v No. 272,171 Patented Feb. 143'; 1883.

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. 1 J/ z/ I a dm N. PETERS, mlwuubgn w. wm'm mn, u; c.

Uniren STATES ATENT Erica.

IRA STORER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BUNTLINE FOR REEFING SAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,171, dated February13, 1883.

l I Application filed October 30, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. STORER, of San Francisco, county ofSanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Sail and Gear;and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

Myinventionrelates to certainim 'irovements in sails and theirrunning-gear; and it consists in the addition of certain lines, which Icall purchase-buntlines, whereby a portion ofthe sail may be hauled upto render .the clewin g up of the remainder an easier matter, and incertain strengthening-ropes upon the forward part of the sail, as willhereinafter fully appear.

My invention will be best illustrated in its application to a topgallantsail, and accordingly I have herein represented that sail and the gearappertaining thereto.

When a sail is very large, as these sails are, great difficulty is foundin clewing up. This has led to the placing upon large vessels of twoyards-the upper and lower top-gallant yards-and of bending on eachatop-gallant sail-upper and lower. These sails-are each worked by itsown set of running-gear, and theadvantage obtained is in dividing alarge sail into two smaller ones, each of which is comparatively easy tobe handled; but the obvious objections to the plan are, that a sail ismore effective as a single sail than when the same amount of canvas ismade into two sails, that there is too much weight aloft, that itrequires too much gear, and that two yards and gearing are moreexpensive than one.

The object of my invention is to retain the single large sail, and by aproper arrangement of additional running-gear avoid the dif- -fieulty ofclewing up, and also, by a proper Let A represent the deck of a vessel,B the upper portion or head of the top-mast, O the top-gallant mast, Dthe top-gallant yard, E the top-sail yard, and F the top-mast crosstreewithoutriggersf. Ihave here shown also the top-gallant back-stays c andthe top-mast back-stays b.

S represents the top-gallant sail bent to the top-gallant yard, and itsclews hauled to the sheave-holes of the top-sail yard by the sheets a.

Q are the halyards of the top-gallant yard.

P represents a pin-rail, which for convenience I here show as a means ofsecuringthe run [ling-rigging.

The innermost ropes, d, are the clew-lines. These pass up through thecross-tree through block it; but instead of passingthence directly toand being secured to the clews, they pass through a block, t, attachedto the clews, up to another, 25 hung under the top-gallant yard, anddown again to block if, to which they are secured. The block t is placedsome distance out on theyard, with whatobject will be hereinafter fullyexplained. The next ropes are the buntlines e. These pass up and aresuitably guided over the top of the sail and down to its bunt on forwardpart of sail. The next are the leech-lines l, which also are suitablycarried over on forward side of sail and to the leech-rope on each side.These are the ordinary running-rigging of this sail.

When there is little wind or a calm, the sail can be clewed up in theusual manner without difficulty; but when the wind is high it is adifficult matter to handle so much sail.

When the sheets are let go and the yard clewed down on the cap, the sailbellies out so much that it is difficult to clew it up. To remedy thisdifficulty I haul up a portion of the sail snug under the top-gallantyard, thus reducing the stretch of canvas and allowing the remainingportion to be handled by the regular running-ri ggin g. The outermostropes, 71 I call the purchase-buntlines. These will be seen to advantagein Fig. 3. They consist of Manila rope up to a block, w, on each side,through which they pass down to and are secured to the Outriggers f ofthe cross-tree. This only shows one way of getting the purchase, thoughany suitable arrangement of tackle would answer. Their continuations(marked h)consist of wire rope. Of these th ere are two legs on eachside, both attached tothe block to. One leg of these lines on each sidepasses up through the uppersheave of a fiddleblock, or, thence out to apoint near the ends of the top-gallant yard when the sail is set, wherethey are continued as chain and pass down through an iron cleat on theyard-arms to a point about one-third of the distance down the sail, andare secured to the leech-ropes, as shown. The other leg of the Wirepasses up on each side through the lowersheave of fiddleblock :0, thenceout to the quarter ofthe yard, through a cleat on the forward side ofthe yard, and down abat't the sail to a point on the same horizontalline with the points of attachments of the other legs on the leech. Herethey are toggled through an ey e, y, which is made by carrying the upperends of the vertical ropes It (explained hereinafter) through the sail.

Now, in handling the sail, the first thing is to clew the yai d down onthe cap, as usual, then man the purchase-buntlines h, together with theclcw-lines and the ordinary buntline, let go the sheets, and clew up thesail. The etl'ect of the purchase-buntlines is to haul up aboutone-thirdof the sail close antler the yard. Oofilparatively little wind can getin it, as it is drawn snug up. This leaves a portion of the sail tohandle with the other gear. The clewlines haul up the clews to the blockP, which by being out a little distance on the yard leave slack leechfor furling the sail.

The whole advantage ofthese purchase-buntlinesis to take up sufficientof the sail-t0 render it easy to handle the remainder. To sheet the sailhome, let go all the gear excepting the pnrchase-buntlines. These, byholding a portion of the sail to the yard, render the hauling of thesheets home very much easier, especially in a strong breeze.

Across the forward side of the sail, on a line above its center, isroped on a band a small hemp rope, It, horizontally, and two similarropes, It, vertically from said rope R to the foot of the sail-one oneach side of the center. The tops of these ropes It are passed throughthe sail and form eyes for securing a leg of thepurchase-buntlines.Thesearestrengtheningropes and serve a double object-tnunely, strengthenthe sail to prevent itfrom splitting in hauling up thepurchase-lmntlines, and enable me to use lighter canvas and have thesail equally strong.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a sail and runningrigging to haul it up, thepurchase-buntlines h and IL, the latter having two legs, one of which isattached to the leech on each side below the yard, and the otherattached to the after part of the'sail on the same line as the firstlegs are attached, and on each side of the vertical center of the sail,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The sail S,having the horizontalstrengthciting-rope R and thevertical strengtheningropes It, and running-rigging to haul it up to theyard, in combination with the purchasebuntlines hand It, the legs of thelatter being attached to theleech on each side at the ends of rope It,as shown, and to the after part of the sail, to the tops of the ropesIt, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

IRA A. STORER.

Witnesses:

A. MAYERS, J. H. BLOOD.

